The invention relates to a solar cell with a cover glass on a doped semiconductor basic element having a surface for light incidence and metallic contacts on that surface and on the opposite rear face of the semiconductor basic element, and having metallic contacts on the surface of the cover glass.
Solar cells used in space missions are covered with glasses, for example, quartz glass, to protect them from corpuscular radiation and micro-meteorites. If, however, such solar cells are used for supplying power to satellites with scientific measurement tasks, e. g., measurement of electrical and magnetic fields, electrical charges on the satellite surface and in particular on the solar cell cover glasses can have a disturbing effect on the measurements.
From the publication "Raumfahrtforschung" (space research), issue 5/69, section 4.3, page 211, it is known how to eliminate such electrostatic charges by providing the cover glasses with a metallic grid matching as closely as possible the cell surface in order to avoid additional light absorption.
The electrical connection method of the solar cells must then also incorporate these cover glass contacts, which must be electrically earthed or grounded.